Following the Gazette article posted yesterday regarding proposals for a tower block in Yate, South Gloucestershire council have come forward to clarify an error regarding the insinuation the building would be part of the Yate Masterplan.

We reported on a petition by MP Luke Hall where he said: "Ninety-five percent of Yate residents surveyed agreed with the local MP that Yate does not want or need the multi-storey tower block that has been proposed by the developers as part of the Yate Masterplan."

However, the council have since clarified, that a stand-alone tower block does not feature in the towns Masterplan. Though it has been proposed by the owners as part of a development opportunity through the sale of Yate Shopping Centre.

A South Gloucestershire Council spokesperson said: “We have worked alongside partners to put together The Yate Town Improvement Masterplan, an important document to shape the future of Yate by setting out a long-term vision and objectives for the town. Building on the existing character of the town, the masterplan seeks to unlock heritage, social, community and economic opportunities and support investment within Yate in the coming years.

“The masterplan shows the vision of buildings of a maximum of two floors with a pitched roof along the edges of the town centre, whilst elsewhere heights will be limited to what is appropriate for the character of Yate. A stand-alone tower block does not feature in the masterplan.

“A 12-week public consultation was held during the Summer 2021, which gave residents the opportunity to comment on the draft masterplan for Yate. Local people did raise concerns about a perceived reduction in parking and perceived high rise buildings in the town centre, that they felt would impact on the character of the town. The project team along with the public and private sector partners on the steering group reviewed the feedback received and agreed the final redrafted masterplan to ensure these concerns were taken into account.

“The number of new homes and height of buildings will be considered through future design guidelines for the town centre and are not included in the masterplan. The vision for the town centre is to diversify the current mix of uses to provide more homes, employment, hospitality, and renewed public services. Keeping the important current function of the town centre and build on it to provide a resilient centre into the future. The appropriate mix of homes, typologies and specialist housing for rent and in ownership, will be determined by working with the community and stakeholders.

“The masterplan was presented and approved by South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet on 13 December. Further information on the Yate Town Improvement Masterplan can be found at: www.southglos.gov.uk/yatemasterplan”